Cilantro Plant

How to Grow Cilantro Plant

Because it adds wonderful flavor to so many dishes, how to grow a cilantro plant is a commonly asked question. The good news is that this plant is very simple to grow and maintain once you learn a few tricks.

The cilantro plant will grow best in cooler temperatures. For that reason, it will need to be planted a bit earlier than some other garden favorites. Ideally, you should plant cilantro in the earliest part of spring or in the fall.

To help keep the soil cool, one trick you can use is to cover the roots with a good amount of mulch. This will help to stop the sun from bearing down on the cilantro plant and causing temperatures that will be too high to yield the best results.

The cilantro plant is not as long-lived as some other plants. Count on the plant lasting for no more than ten weeks before it starts to flower.

Happily, you will be able to harvest the seeds very easily and can use them to grow additional plants. You will need to harvest the seeds very soon after the cilantro plant flowers. Simply shake the plants to remove the seeds, allow them to air dry and then store until ready to use.

When the cilantro plant is close to six feet tall, it is ready to harvest. You want to work from the outside, removing the leaves and leaving the inner leaves to continue growing. You will be able to come back to the plant a couple of times before it starts to flower.

Because some people use cilantro plants in many of their favorite dishes, they prefer to grow the plant indoors. This allows them to have fresh cilantro all year long, rather than only during certain seasons.

Obviously, when growing cilantro plants indoors, you will need to take care of the plants in some ways that nature would if the plants were being grown in a garden.

First of all, you will need to make sure that the cilantro plant gets enough sunlight. To do this, place the plant in direct sunlight for a minimum of four hours per day. Some people place their plants in a garden window, while others simply move the pots outdoors for a few hours each day.

Watering is another task you will have to handle when growing cilantro plants indoors. Over watering is just as damaging as under watering. You should check the soil every day, but only water when the soil feels dry. You can add water until it starts to seep out of the drainage holes.

You will also need to add nutrients to the soil when growing cilantro plants indoors. Some suggest using a combination of sand and soil and then adding your favorite nutrients and fertilizers. While the plant is growing, you should add fertilizers two times per week in order to achieve maximum results.

Whether you choose to grow it in your garden or on a shelf in the kitchen, the cilantro plant will be a great addition to your collection of fresh herbs and spices. If you have never cooked with cilantro before, give it a try. It offers a unique flavor that will enhance many types of dishes.